Storage battery locomotive



Feb. 2, 1932.

R. MANCHA ET AL STORAGE BATTERY LOGOMOTIVE Filed July 5, 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet l HZ. MWW ma 05 Ma W 2 N flaw v a Patented Feb. 2, 1932 RAYMOND MANCHA, OF ST. LOUIS, AND CHARLES E. ST'OLTZ, OF WEBSTER GROVES, IVIISSO'URI, ASSIGNORS TO IVIANCHA STORAGE; BATTERY LOCOMOTIVE COMPANY, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE STORAGE BATTERY LOCOMOTIVE Application filed July 3,

This invention relates to storage battery locomotives, and the novel features are especially advantageous in low type locomotives.

Prior to this invention, low type locomotiveshave been used in coal mines todraw coal cars through shallow tunnels, or passageways, that are very low. The storage battery has been surrounded by the chassis nomical to char e the batter of an old low type locomotive without removing it from the chassis.

Consequently, when such low type locomotives were in continuous service, one would be idle for the charging of the battery while another was in service. In other words, two of the old low type locomotives were required to obtain the'continuousservioe ofa single locomotive.

An object of the present invention is to produce a low type locomotive wherein a novel chassis and two batteries are adapted to perform the work of two of the old low type locomotives.

More specifically stated, one of the objects is to produce a telescopic storage battery locomotive wherein a removable battery holder is telescoped with the chassis, and so supported in the chassis that the discharged battery can be easily and quickly removed and replaced by a fully charged battery.

In the preferred form of the invention, the chassis may include the usual, or any suitable, side and end frame members, in addition to a structure large enough and having the strength required to support the battery, this structure being telescoped with the chassis to locate thebattery in the desired low horizontal plane.

In removing the battery, the chassis may be moved with respect to the battery holder, or said holder may be moved independently Serial No. 465,605.

of the chassis, so as to provide the telescopic motion which separates the chassis from the battery and its holder. A similar operation is performed in substituting a charged battery for the discharged battery.

The bottom of the removable battery holder may be lower than the. tops of the wheels which support the chassis, and the telescopic holder may be seated upon relatively low supporting members in the frame of the chassis.

To illustrate one form oft-he invention, we

have shown a chassis provided with a recess open at one end to receive the battery holder, bars located'in the bottom of said recess and forming part of the chassis structure, and a battery holder in the form of a carriage located between the side frames of the'chassis and movable along said bars to permit removal of the battery. The battery, and its holder are thus 'removably telescoped with the low chassis, and the weight of these removable elements is transmitted directly to the lower portion of the chassis structure.

With the foregoing and otherobjects in View, the invention comprises the novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter more specifically described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, where is shown the preferred embodiment of the invention. However, it is to be understood that the invention comprehends changes, variations and modifications which come within the scope of the claims appended.

Fig. l is a diagrammatical top view of a storage battery locomotive embodying the features of this invention.

Fig. 2 is a side view of the locomotive.

Fig. 3 is a top view of the front portion of the chassis with the battery holder removed.

Fig. l is a vertical section taken approximately on the line 4i4 in Fig. 2. I

To illustrate one form of the invention, we have shown a storage battery locomotive including a chassis provided with side frame members 5, and end members 6 and 7 connecting the side members. This chassis'constitutes the body of the low locomotive.

The end membersfi and 7 may be termed end sills and they are adapted to serve as bumpers. These end members may be pro- Cir vided with the usual, or any suitable, coupling devices (not shown) to couple the locomotive to a car, or to another locomotive. The top faces of the end members 6 and 7 are preferably lower than the tops of the side members 5, as shown in Fig. 2. Bolts 8, or other suitable fastening devices, may be used to connect the ends of the members 6 and 7 to the ends ofthe side members 5.

Thechassis is supported on wheels 9 provided with aXles 10 extending into journal boxes 11. Springs 12 are interposed between the journal boxes and spring pockets 1?) formed in the side framemembers 5, so the chassis frame is yieldingly supported on the journal boxes.

An operators compartment let (Fig. 1) is formed in one-end of the chassis, said compartment beingprovided with a controller 15 and an operators seat 16 adjacent to the controller. li o do not deem it no essary to show the brakes, nor the other equipment underthe control of the operator, as the invention is not limited to such details.

Thelocomotive is driven by an electric mo- 'tor 17,and the driving power may be trans mitted from the motor to the wheels in any suitable manner.

The storage battery which energizes the motor consists of numerous cells 18 connected together in series and, as previously stated, the weight of the complete batteryis very great, for-example, about two tons.

As shown by Figures 1 and 2, the battery is telescoped "with the chassis, and the tops of the cells are preferably lower than the to.) of the low t e chassis while the bottom of the battery is lower than the tops of the wheels, and preferably adjacent to the axles T hecells 18 are arranged in rows and-each row is located in a tray 19, but owing to the and the weightofthe contents of each tray, the bat teries of theold low type locomotives have not been removed for charging. The batteries in old locomotives of this type have been'chargcd while confined in the locomotives, and this has resulted inthe use of two complete locomotives whenever continuous service of one low type locomotive was required.

The'batteryholdcr comprises a rectangular abutment frame including a pair of side bars 21 arranged longitudinally of the cha. sis and located above the top faces of the inainside frame members 5, said longitudinal bars2l being-connected lay-transverse bars 22 and 23 to produce the rectangular frame.

The telescopic battery holder may oe supported on the lower portion of the CllilSSlS and to lllustrate th1s, we have shown a battery compartment comprising a bottom 24:

on which the battery is seated, and side wall members 25 extending upwardly from said neaaeei bottom and secured to the rectangular frame members 21, 22 and 23.

The battery compartment produced by the bottom and side wall members 24 and 25 may be approximately T-shaped, as shown in Fig. 1, so as to extend across thechassis at the front portion of the locomotive, where the vertical wall members 25 engage the frame members 21 and 22-. At these parts of the structure, the wall members -25 have relatively narrow flanges 26 seated on the tops of the frame members 21 and 22, and rivets 2? may be employed to connect said Vertical wall members 25 to said frame mem- 21 and 22.

However, at the intermediate ,portion of the chassis (Figs. 1 and i), where themain e 5 are relatively wide to form the mieel housings, the battery compartment is narrower than at the front of the locomotive. As shown by Fig. 4, the vertical wall 25 at each wheel housing may be connected to a horizontal web, or fiange,'2 8 which extends over one of the main side framememhers 5, and this connection-may be formed by an angle bar 29 attached-to the-topof the vertical wall 25 and also to the horizontal web, or flange, 28. V

lit the extreme rear of the approximately T-shaped battery compartment (Fig.1),the ve "ical wall 25 of said compartment may be connected directly to the rear bar 23 of the rectangular frame, just as it is connected to the bars 21 and 22 at the front portions of the locomotive.

It will now be understoodthat the removable telescopic battery holder shown in the drawings includes a bottom 24 on which the battery is seated, and that this bottom lies below the tops of the wheels 9 and preferably above the axles 10. Said bottom is preferably surrounded by the main frame of the chassis, so as to support the battery in the horizontal plane of this low chassis.

The chassis is formed with a recess conforming to and adapted to receive the T- shaped battery holder, and this recessisopen at the front end of the locomotive to permit removal of the battery holder and its contents. r

The chassis shown in the drawings comprises transverse bars 30 connecting thelower portions of the side frame members 5 ,and longitudinal bars 31 supported upon said transverse bars. The longitudinal bars-may be in the form of channels extending over the end member 7 to one end of the chassis, and they prcfcrably lie above the sides 10 but below the tops of the wheels9.

The battery holder is preferably supported the recess in the chassis, so the telescopic battery compartment can be easily removed from the chassis by moving said chassis along the tracks 31 to another pair of tracks, or to any suitable support alined with the tracks 31.

When the discharged battery is removed from the chassis, a charged battery in a similar holder is moved along the tracks 31 and substituted for the discharged battery.

When the locomotive is in service, the tele scopic battery holder may be secured to the chassis by means of an abutment bar 33 adapted to engage the rear end of the battery holder, shoulders 34 formed on the side members 5 to engage the extended sides of the T-shaped battery holder, and a detachable locking device including a pin '35 passing through a member 36 extending from the battery holder and extending into the end frame member 7. g

It will now be understood that the battery holder is supported by reinforcing members in the lower portion of the chassis, and that the several elements of the chassis and bat- -holder being telescoped with said chassis frame and removably supported on said sup porting members to permit removal of the battery. I

2. A low type storage battery locomotive provided with a unitary frame for both the chassis and body of the locomotive, a storage battery from which energy is transmitted to drive the locomotive, and a removable holder for said battery, said removable holder being telescoped with said unitary frame to permit removal of the battery, the bottom of said removable battery holder being lower than the tops of the wheels of the locomotive, and said unitary frame being provided with supporting members located below said bottom to receive said battery holder.

3. A low type storage battery locomotive provided with a chassis frame constituting the body portion of the locomotive, a storage battery from which energy is transmitted to drive the locomotive, a removable holder for said battery, said holder being telescoped with said chassis frame, and the lower portion of said frame being provided with supporting members on which said battery holder is seated.

4. A storage battery locomotive comprising a low body provided with a storage battery from which energy is transmitted to drive the locomotive, an operators station lower than the top of said battery, a removable holder for said battery, and means for telescopically supporting said removable holder in said low body, said means being lower than the top of the wheels of the locomotive. e

5. A low type batterylocomotive provided with a chassis constituting the bodyof the locomotive .and having a recess open at one end of the chassis to receive the storage battery and supporting.members at the lower portion of said recess, and a battery holder telescoped with said chassisand seated on said supporting members to permit removal of the battery through said end of the recess. v6. A low type storagebattery locomotive provided with 'a chassis constituting the body of .the locomotive and having an approximately T-shaped recess to receive thestorage battery and supporting members at the: lower portion of said recess, said recess being open at one end. of the chassis, and a battery holder conforming to said. T-shaped recess, said battery holder being telescoped with the chassis and seated'on said supporting membersat theqlower portionof the recess to permit removal of the battery through said end of the chassis.

7. Astorage battery locomotive provided with a chassis, astorage battery from which energy is transmitted to drive the locomotive, an operators station lower-than the top of said battery, a removable holder for said battery, the bottom of said removable holder being lower than the tops of the wheels of the locomotive, said holder being telescoped with said chassis, and anti-friction members supporting said holder.

8. A storage battery locomotive provided with a chassis, a storage battery from which energy is transmitted to drive the locomotive, an operators station lower than the top of'said battery, a removable holder for said battery, the bottom of said removable holder being lower than the tops of the wheels of the locomotive, said holder being telescoped with said chassis, and anti-friction members supporting said holder, said anti-friction members being lower than the tops of said wheels but higher than the axles thereof.

9. A low type storage battery locomotive provided with a chassis frame constituting the body of the locomotive, a storage battery from which energy is transmitted to drive the locomotive, and a removable holder for said battery, said removable holder being telescoped with said chassis frame to permit removal of the battery, the bottom of said removable battery holder being lower than the tops of the wheels of the locomotive, said chassis frame including side frame members at opposite sides of said battery holder and transverse bars located below said bottom to support said holder.

"4 Leeaeai 10. A loW type storage battery locomotive provided with a chassis frame having side members forming the sides of the locomotive body, a storage battery from which energy is transmitted to drive the locomotive, and a removable'holder for said battery,- said removable holder being telescoped With said chassis frame to permit removal ofthe battery, the bottom of said removable battery holder being lower than the tops of the Wheels of the locomotive, said chassis frame including bars arranged longitudinally of the chassis and located below said bottom, and said battery holder being movablealong 35 said bars.

11. In it'lOW type storage battery locomotive, a chassis constituting the body of the locomotive, said chassis being provided With an approximately T-shaped recess open at one end and having an abutment atthe opposite end and supporting bars at the lower portion of said recess, said supporting bars being lower than the tops of the Wheels of I the locomotive but higher than the axles thereof, a battery. comprising a group of cells from Which electrical energy is transmitted to energize the locomotive, an approximately T-shaped removable holder containing said cells; said holder being mo-vable through said open end ofthe recess so as to telescope with the chassis frame, anti-friction members carried by said batteryholder and mounted on saidv supporting bars, and lockingmeans cooperating With said abutment to prevent accidental displacement of said telescoped bat-- tery holder.

In testimony that We claim the foregoing We hereunto affix our signatures.

RAYMOND MANCHA. CHARLES E. STOLTZ. 

